Filament-mounting machine



March 18, 1930. M. VVILDEBOER FILAMENT MOUNTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 15, 1927 Inventor: arinus \A/i lclelooer.

by fi J7 His AttoT'neV March 18,1930. M. WILDE BOER 4 1,751,434

FILAMENT MOUNTING MACHINE Filed June 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor": I Marinqs \N'iicleboer I y M I Hi8 Attorney.

Patented Man-18,1930

mnnws wILnEBoE'n,

{UNITED srAr s -PAT NT OFFICE OF EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS, AssIeNo 'roGENERAL ELECTRIC comraNY, A CORPORATION or N W YORK rrLmEN'r-uouN'rINGMACHINE Application filed June 15, 1927, Serial No. "199,086, and in theNetherlands June 30, 1926.

" The invention relates to a machine for winding or mounting thefilament of electric incandescent lamps or similar devices and.

more particularly to a machine by which the '5 winding or mounting ofthe filament is done automatically. z The m'ounts' of electric havefilament supports or anchors for supportin the filament and alsoleading-in wires or'conducting the current to the filament. The greatestdifficulty in mounting the filament automatically has been to connectthe filament to theleads because itis diflicult always to position theleads accurately. with 1'5 respect to the filament being fed to themachine, and accurate positioning of the leads .is essential forconnecting the filament to them; I

' In order to facilitate the-accurate positioncan then'be fed so t atthe leads and the filament can be connected. Thefeedof the filamentitself can be controlled much more acc'urately than the position-ofalead in the mount, as the lead is subjected during the Y manufacture ofthe mount to many opera tions before the filament is mounted. Thegreatest uniformity of position of the leads is obtained if thesuccessive stages of the manufacturing process, through which .the

mount has to pass before being ready to -be sealed into the bulb, takesplace'in a single machine, thereby eliminating anyvhandling of themounts, as any handling results in small although unintentionalchangesin the position of the leads. e

In accordance with the invention, the filament is first brought by meansof the fila-' ment feeding device into a position where one end of itcan be fastened to one of the leads, whereupon the body of the filamentis wound on the anchors and then the other incandescent. lamps ing ofthe leads the "mount is in accordance with the invention held stationaryin position to cooperate with a filament feeding device end is broughtinto such a osition'thatit can be fastened to the secon lead.- Thefastening of the filament to the leads may be done by clamping thefilament ends into the hooks or bent ends of the lead. In

' order to accomplish this result the end of the filament is placed inthe hook or bent end of the lead while this lead hook or bent end islocated between a pair'of clamping jaws. As the filament moves forwardinto the lead hook it encounters a movable stop, which is in line withthe direction. of movement of the fila' ment and is mounted immediatelybehind the hook or bent end of the leads. This stop is moved to aposition immediately against the bent end' of the lead, and thusprevents the ends of the filament from projecting through the lead hooksafter the lead hooks onthe mg of the leads are clamped to the filamenten s; a

In the incandescent lamp industry, a distinction can be made between twosomewhat different types of lamps, the vacuum type and the gas-filledtype of'which the principal characteristics are well known. As far.

asextern'al characteristics are concerned, the 1 mount of thevacuum-type lamp is distinguished by a straight wire or filament, whichis wound in a zigzag manner on two sets of anchors placed in twoparallel planes; The so i and form an eye open at the sidev to permitthe filament to enter the eye. These anchors with eyes on the end arehereinafter called The vcoiled filament is fastened to 35 ieyes. thelead in the manner described above, and wound in the several eyes. iASthese eyes are wound with alarge pitch their sides are far enough apartto make the eyes accessible to the filament wire or coil.

In order to mount or wind the filament wire or coil in these filamentsupports with eyes, there is provided a filament feeding device whichmoves in such a way that the fila ment wire or coil follows a curvedpath, while the eyes are positioned in such relation to this path thatthe filament can enter the eye through the open side of the eye. Amachine according to this principle can be constructed in several ways.In one form of machine embodying the invention, a filament feedingdevice is provided which has not only a bodily movement along a certaindefinite path, but also another double movement i. e. one movementaround its own axis an another in the direction of this axis, while at apoint on this device eccentric to this axis the coil or filament wire isguided or held;

In order to obtain this result the filament may be'fed through a tubemounted to rotate about the bore of the tube as an axis. This a tube maybe provided with a driving pinion which rolls on a stationary ring gear,the outlet of the tube being eccentric to the axis about which thepinion and the tube rotate.- Further, the tubecan be mounted so as to bemovable back and forth along the longitudinal axis about which itrotates.

When winding a filament on the anchors a coiled filament of definitelength is pushed into the tube of the filament feeding device and ispulled out of the bore of the tube during the winding. As the feedingdevice approaches the second lead the end of the coil will slip out ofthe tube of the filament feeding device, and will have to be caught andbrought into position where it can be clamped to the second lead. Forthis purpose a pin or finger can be provided which follows the movementof the rotating tube.

For purposes of illustration one form of machine constructed accordingto theinvention is here explained with reference to the attacheddrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view in perspective and partly insection of i the principal parts of a machine constructed according tothe invention; Fig. 2 is a cross section along the longitudinal axis ofthe filament'feeding device for feeding the filament wire or coil; Fig.3 is a detail view of a fila-" ment feeding device; Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section showing one form of driving mechanism for'actuatingthe parts of the machine; Figure 5 a plan view of an eye just before thefilament passes into it through the open side; Figs. 6 and 7 an end viewand a side view respectively of the eye with the parts in the positionof Figure 5; Fig. 8 a plan view of the eye just after the filamenthas'passed into it; Figure 9 a side view of the eye with the parts inthe position of Figure 8; and Fig. 10 a diagram looking down on some ofthe eyes and showing by a broken line A the path of the'ti'p throughwhich the filament is fed, 7

The particular machine shown in the drawings is designed to mount thecoiled filaments of the gas-filled type of lamp. and comprises afilament feeding device 10 for the feeding of the filament wire, a mountsupport 11 forpositioning the anchors and leads, and two nular frame 15preferably on ball bearings 13 and" 14:. A pedestal 16 mounted on thetable 12 supports a rotatable filament feeding tube 17 which isjournaled in the pedestal (Fig. 2). A pinion 18 splined to the tube 17and shown somewhat out of proportion for clearness of illustration, isin mesh with a ring gear 19 on the frame 15, and as the table 12 rotatesthe pinion due to its meshing with the ring gear 19 rotates the tube 17.The filament feeding tube 17 has a bore 20 through which the filamentpasses, and is so shaped that the tip 21 of the tube which opens towardsthe center of the frame 15 is eccentric to the axis of the pinion.Furthermore, the filament feeding tube 17 can move back and forth in thepinion 18 and the pedestal 16 along its axis of rotation, andconsequently the tip 21 of the tube 17 may have a triple movement, i. e.a bodily movement in a circular path about the center of the annularframe 15, and simultaneously a double movement around the axis of the.pin-

ion 18 and also along that axis. filament is now fed through the bore 20of this filament feeding tube 17 while the tube is making this triplemovement thiscoil as it leaves the tip 21 of the tube will describe acurved path.

The mount support the mount comprises a rod 22 and a thick fiat disc 23over the upper end of the rod. If, by means of a stem holder not shownin Figure If a coiled 11 for the anchors 0f 1, the mount is now soplaced that the anchor holding button of the glass cane or arbor 23 ofthe mount end rests on the disc 23 the anchors 23 are in the same planeas the filament feeding device 10 withtheir eyes 23 projecting beyondthe ,rim of the disc 23. In

order to center the mount, the disc 23 may have a central depression orcup into which the upset or button-shapedend of the glass cane or arborfits. The leads 24 and 25 may be previously bent if necessary so thatthelr bent or hooked ends will be located between the edge of the disc23 and the clamping jaws 26 and 27, which are pivoted in brackets 28and29 on a ring 30; which is rigidly connected to the frame 15 .A lug orstop 31 connected to the rod 22 projects from the'edge of the discthrough a slot in the edge of the disc and is movable toward the lead 24to push the end of the filamentback into place in the hook on the lead.

' The clamping jaws 26 and 27 are brought 26 during the upward movementof the sleeve cam 33, and'thereby'the pinching together of the hook onthe lead 24 at the time when the end of the filament, usually a coiledfilament is not yet in the hook, is prevented. The

sleeve cam 33 is constructed in sucha 'way that the arm of the clampingjaw 27 will slide over the cylindrical part of the cam after the leadhas been suificiently' pinched together.

The feeding of-the coiled filament into the tube 17 of the filamentfeeding device takes place as follows: 1

Asshown in Figure 1 a funnelshaped tube 39 is mounted in such a positionwith reference to the filament feeding device that itsbore 40 (see Fig.3) is an extension of the bore 20 of the tube 17. A coiled filament 41dropped into the funnel will slide downward under the influence ofgravity and will slide into the bore 20- In case the coil does notemerge from the tip '21 of the tube 17 a flexible needle, fitting intothe bore 40, can be placed above the funnel-shaped tube and moveddownwards to force the coil forward through the bore 20 to the tip 21.Instead of a needle compressed air may be used to push the coil forwardthrough the tube 17.

A finger 42 extending radially towards the 7 center "of theannular'frame 15 is mounted on the pedestal 16 to swing in substantiallythe plane of the disc 23. The finger is mounted on a shaft 53 Whichisjournaled on the pedestal-16, and is oscillated by a cam follower 43,which rides on the rim of a fixed cam 54 projecting from the edge of theframe 15 A spring holds the finger 42 in the position shown in Fig. 1and permits the finger to swing back far enough so that its endcan passover the clamping jaws 27 as the table 12 rotates, the finger beingswung back to its normal position by the spring after its end is clearof the clamping jaw. To move the tube 17 longitudinally during themounting of the filament, a finger 44 equipped'with a roller 45 (Fig. 2)which follows the rim of a cam 46 fixed on the edge of the frame 15 hasa projection which engages a collar 47 on the tube 17. The cam 46 is soshaped that the tube 17 is moved back and forth periodically during thetravel of the table 12.

The mechanisms above described may be actuated in proper sequence byvarious forms of actuating mechanism, but merely for purposes ofillustration there is shown in-Figure 4 one form ofactuating mechanismwhich may be used. The particular machine shown in Figure 4 has a stemholder for gripping the stem tube of the mount to hold the mount in themachine in position shown in Figure 1. The particular form of stemholder shown comprises a pair of spring-pressed jaws which grip the stemtube of the mount and which are pivoted on a pedestal. 56. This pedestalmay also have an arm 57 for holding the funnel-shaped tube 39 in properposi-j tion. The pedestal is mounted on a framework which has a top 58and a shelf which supports the driving mechanism for the machine. i 1

The rotary table 12 in this particular form of machine is driven througha vertical countershaft 60 having on its upper end a pinion .in meshwith gear teeth on the rim of the table and driven through a bevelpinion on its lower end from a driving gear 61 which is both a bevelgear and a spur gear. This gear 61 is rotatably mounted-on the hub 62 ofa'driving pulley 63 which rotates on a fixed axle 64. The parts are soproportioned that one revolution of the gear 61 causes one revolution'ofthetable 12. v

A latching mechanism is provided between the driving pulley 63 and thegear 61 of such construction that when the driving pulley is connectedto the gear 61 the gear will make one complete revolution and thenautomati- -cally stop: Various forms of such latching mechanism-areknown, and merely forpurposes of illustration, there is shown a simplemechanism comprising a lug 65 on the hub of the driving pulley'inposition to be engaged by a.catch 66 -pivoted-on the gear 61' andpressedby a spring 67 into position to engage the lug 65 and therebyconnect the driving pulley to the gear 61. The catch 66 is provi dedwith a tail so shaped that when it is carried by the revolution of thegear 61 into contact with a spring-pressed control rod 68 in theposition shown in: the drawing it moves the catchfree from the lug andholds it so' that the gear is automatically disconnected from thedriving pulley and stops, although the driving pulley continues torotate. To start .the machine the control rod is drawn down out of rangeof the tail of the catch in some convenient way, as for example,

through a pedal connected to the control rod through a cable 69. Thedrawing down of the control rod permits the catch to swing into positionto engage the lug 65 on the rotating hub of the .drive pulley, wherebythe gear 61 is locked to and rotates with the driving pulley for onerevolution, at the end of which the tail of the catch 66 rides up on thecontrol rod 68 which, in the meantime,

has returned-to theposition shown in the drawing, and thereupon the gear61 is auto? matically disconnected from the driving pulley.

The actuating mechanism for the clamping jaws of the machine is drivenfrom the gear 61through a'n idler gear 70 which is in mesh with the spurteeth of the gear 61 and also in mesh with a gear 71 mounted to rotateon an axle 72. The gear 71 drives a clamping jaw actuating cam 73 whichhas an incline 74 for actuating the cam sleeve 33 to close the clampingjaws 27 and a second incline 75 to move the cam sleeve further andthereby actuate the clamping jaw 26. The sleeve cam 83 is actuated fromthe cam 73 through a taphen the high point on the cam 7 8 engages thecam follower 79 the rod 22 is rotated slightly and as a result the stop31 is moved intocontact' with the hook on the lead 24.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A mount is placed in thestem holder in such position that its cane or arbor rests with thebutton in the central depression of the disc 23, and thereby the leadsare located exactly between the edge of the disc'23 and the clampingjaws 26 and 27. If a coiled filament 41 is to be mounted in the anchorsof this mount, the coil is dropped in the funnel-shaped bore of the tube39. This coil will slide downward by gravity and push forward with acertain speed through the bore 20 of the tube 17. In case the coil doesnot emerge immediately from the tip 21 of j the tube 17 ,the coil can beforced forward by a flezrible needle or by compressed air as describedabove. The tube 17 is at this time in starting position with its tip soplaced that the end of the coil as it emerges from the tip of thetube 17will be in the hook orbent end -of the lead 25 (Fig. 1). As the coilmoves out of the tube 17 its end will encounter the filament stop orfinger 42, which is then pressed against the hook on the lead to holdthe end of the filament in the lead hook. WVhen the coil is in thecorrect position with its end in the lead hook and against the finger 42the machine is started and sleeve cam 33 is moved upward by .the incline74 of the cam 73 just far enough to actuate the clamping jaw 27 andpinch together the hooked end of thelead 25 upon the filament end. Asthe table 12 rotates, the filament feed tube 17 is given the triplemovement described above and the tip 21 of the filament feeding tube 17follows a path which when projected on a horizontal plane is shown bythe brokenline A in Figs. 5,8 and 10, that portion of the path which isadjacent an eye is, when projected on a vertical plane shown by thebroken line B. The coil, now fastened at one end to the lead 25, ispulled out of the tube 17 through the tip 21 during this movement, andthe portion emerging from the tip follows a curved path in space due tothe movement of the tip. As the anchors of the mount are provided witheyes open on one side to receive the filament, the coil will be woundthrough these eyes during this movement. In orderto accomplish-this thetube 17 is rotated through an angle of 360 degrees.

as it moves from one anchor to the next and the tip 21 passes under eacheye and then rises, as indicated by the broken line B, Fig. 6. When the,tip 21 reaches the positionshown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the filament '41is lying against the under side of the anchor 23 and adjoining the openside of the eye, and the tip 21 is so near the eye that it may be saidto be in substantially a vertical plane which is parallel to the anchor23", and passes between the convolutions of the eye, and which may becalled the plane of the eye. The tip 21 is now moved radially outward bythe cam 46 to the positionshown in Figs. 8

and 9, thereby drawing the filament which projectsfo'm the tip 21 in abend somewhat asshownin Figs. 5 and 6, thru the open side of the eye andinto placein the eye. The tip 21 continues on its way, following thepath A of Fig. 10, until it nears the next eye, when the cam 46 permitsit to move radially inward so that it will pass under and around thenext eye. A coiled filament which' is to be mounted must be cut off to avery definite length, as any small variation in length causes adifference in the light intensity and power consumption. Therefore, thecoil pushed into the tube 17 is of very carefully determined length, andwill be pulled gradually out of the tip 21 duringthe winding process.After the coil has been wound through all of these eyes, the tip 21 willbe between the. last eye and the clamping jaw 26, and the end of thecoil will then slip out of the tip 21 of the tube 17. In this positionof the tip 21 the coil will slip out of the tip, while the cam roller 45on the stop 44 meets a projecting part of the cam 46 and pushes the tube17 radially outward against the spring 48. The end of the coil will nowtend to droop down,'but it is prevented from doing so by the finger orpin 42, which, due to the shape of a recess in the cam 54 on the rim ofthe frame 15, has been swung toward the center'of the frame into placeto form a kind of bridge or guide between the last eye and the hookedend of the lead 24. At this time the rod 22 will be rotated through asmall angle by' the cam 78 in such way that the stop lead. At thismovement the sleeve cam 33 is moved upward by the incline 75 of the cam73 to actuate the clamping jaw 26 and pinch together the hook on the endof the lead 24, after which the machine automatically stops. What Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combinationof a holder for a mount having hooked leads and hooked anchors insubstantially the same plane, a filament feeding mechanism comprising afilament guide for delivering a filament lengthwise, and actuatingmechanism. for moving said guide relatively to the mount in said holderto move its delivery end in substantially 'said plane and from the hookon one lead past the hooks on said anchors to the hook on the other leadto deliver the filament into the hooks on said leads and on saidanchors..

2. In-a machine of the character described,

the combination of a l.older for a mount having hooked leads and hookedanchors in substantially the same plane, a filament feed;

ing mechanism comprising a tubular filament guide through which afilament may slide lengthwise, and actuating mechanism for moving saidguide in said plane from an initial position'for delivering the end of afi1a-- ment to the hook on one leadthrough succeeding positions fordrawing the filament, from said guide and delivering it to each anchorin succession as said guide passes the anchor to a final position wherethe other end of the filament is delivered to the hook on the otherlead; v

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a holderfor a ount having hooked leads and hooked anch rs in substantially thesame plane, hook clamping jaws in registry with the hooks on the'leadsofa mount in said holder, and filament feeding mechanism comprising atubular guide through which a filament'may slide endwise to place itsend in a hook while said mechanism is in operative relation to the hook,said mechanism being movable from operative relation to the hook on-onelead into operative ing the end'of a filament into the hook of one ofthe leads of a mount in said holderfa filament stop movable intoposition adjacent the hook of a lead to encounter the projecting end ofa filament in said hook, and means for in se uence.

5. n a machine of the character described,

the combination ofa holder for a mount 3 having hodked leads and hookedanchors in substantially the same plane, hook clamping jaws in registrywith the hooks on the leads of a mount in said holder, and filamentfeeding mechanism comprisinga movable filament guide for delivering afilament lengthwise, and actuating means for'moving said guide to causeits delivery end to travel in a curved path which extends slightly aboveand below such plane and brings said delivery end adjacent the hook of alead of each anchor and another lead insuccession and in position todeliver into said hooks the filament fed through said guide.

6.. In a machine of the character the combination of aholder for amounthaving hooked leads and hooked anchors, hook clamping jaws in"registrywith the described,

hooks on the leads of a mount in said holder and filament feedingmechanism comprising a tubular guide having .an outlet eccentric to itslongitudinal axis, said guide being rotatable about and also movablealong said axis and also bodily movable in a path adjacent the hooks ofa mount in said holder, and actuating means for moving said guide bodilyand on said axis to place in said hooks the filament delivered from saidguide.

- 7. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a holdersfor a mount having hooked leads and hookedanchors, hook clamping jawsin registry with the hooks on the leads'of amount in said holder and filament feeding mechanism comprising a tubularguide having an outlet eccentric to its longitudinal axis, sai-d guidebeing rotatable about and alsomovable along said axis and also bodilymovable about the mount holder,

a ring of gear, teeth concentric with the axis of the mount holder, apinion on said guide in mesh with saidgear teeth, and actuating meansfor moving said guide bodily about the mount holder to place in the hookof the mount the filament delivered from said guide. g

8. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a holder for a mount having hooked leads and hookedanchors, hook clamping jaws in registry with the hooks on the leads of amount in said holder and filament feeding mechanism comprising-a tubularguide having-Ran outlet eccentric to'its longitudinal axis,said guide'bein rotatable about and also movable along sai also bodily movableabout the mount holder, a ring of gear teeth concentric with theaxisaxis and of the mount holder, a pinion on said guide and in mesh withsaid gear teeth, and means to move said uide along its axis;

. In a machine of the charscterdescnbed,

responsive tobodily'movement of said guide the combination of a holderfor a mount having hooked leads andhooked anchors,"hook clamping jaws inregistry with the hooks on the leads of amount in said holder andfila- Iment feeding mechanism comprising a tubular guide having anoutleteccentric to its longitudinal axis, said guide bein rotatableabout and also movable along sai axis and also bodily movable in a pathfrom one lead 1O hook-past the anchor hooks of the mount to the other.had hook, actuating means for moving said guide along said path, and afinger moved by said actuating means as said guide approaches theother'lead into position adjacent said other lead to engage thefilainerdit and position it in the hook of said other ea' e v .Inwitness, whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day ofMay, 1927."

k MABINUS WILDEBOER. I

